Paper-feeding machine.



T. G. DEXTER & V. GARNER.

PAPER FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

T. G. DEXTER 6: V. GARNER.

PAPER FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) AUG. 31, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

3 SHBETSSEEET 2.

T. G. DEXTER & V. GARNER.

PAPER FEEDING MACHINE.

AEPLIOAT'ION FILED AUG. 31, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

3 SHEETSSHBBT 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TALBOT DEXTER AND VERNON GARNER, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS, BYDIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS TO DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF PEARL RIVER,NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PAPER-FEEDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 25, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, TALBOT C. DEXTER and VERNON GARNER, both citizensof the United 'States, and residents of Pearl River, in the county ofRockland and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Paper-Feeding Machines, of which the following isspecification.

The present invention relates to improve- 'ments in the paper feedinmachine covered by application of Ta bot C.- Dexter and William M.McCain filedApril 30th, 1909, Serial No. 493,164.

The machine of this application embodies a novel form of pile supportingand elevating mechanism in which two pile supporting frames or platformsare adapted to be successively engaged by the traveling nuts or bracketsoperating upon the ordinary elevating screws, with the view of avoiding-as much as possible the loss of time now commonly consumed in loading ap1le of sheets upon the paper supporting and ele-' vating platform. Inoperating the machineof said application, the feeder is operating uponone pile of sheets supported upon one of the platforms that isautomatically elevated by the screws, while at the same time, theoperator is preparing a second pile of sheets upon the second latformwhich is supported at the base 0 the machine during the feedingoperation. When the pile is exhausted from the upper platform, saidplatform is uncoupled from the elevating mechanism and removed from themachine,

while the elevating brackets are lowered to a position to be coupledwith the lower platform supporting a second pile of sheets,

which is then automatically elevated to I feeding position and thefeeding operation continued.

The object of the presentinvention is to simplify and improve thestructure of the machine covered by said pending application, and tothis end the present invention includes a novel form of pile elevatingplatform, in which side girders or brackets are rigidly mounted upon theelevating screw nuts so as to always move vertically with said nutsunder the action of the elevating screws, and two detachable end girdershave means for coupling them to the girders or brackets carried by thenuts. The means for coupling the removable end girders to the elevatinggirders or brackets consists preferably of pins or lugs projectingoutwardly from the ends of the bracket girders into openings formedthrough the removable end girders, and coupling pins passing throughformed in said parts.

By forming the table elevating frame of the girder brackets permanentlyfixed to the elevating screw nuts and the separately removable endgirders as explained, it will be clear that" the operation of removingthe detachable parts of the elevating frame 01' platform ismuch moreeasily accomplished than in the machine of the above named application,the removable girders being separately removable so that an operator canreadilyhandle the machine without as sistance.

' In. order that our invention may be fully understood, we will firstdescribe the same registering openings with reference to theaccompanying drawform in lowered position with the end girders detachedand resting upon the stationary frames or brackets at the base of themachine. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of parts of the elevatingframe, illustrating particularly the coupling devices.

Paper feeding machines of the type to which our improvements apply areusually constructed with heavy frames such as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which the main frame consists of the uprightside frames 1, transverse top frame 2, and the transverse bottom frame3. These main frame parts are properly secured'togetherand braced by theusual tie bolts in the manner well understood. At the front of themachine frame a series of vertical bars or slats 4 is provided to guidethe front edge of the pile of sheets.

Each of the vertical side frames 1 has a for main channeled uprightstandard 5 in which are located the vertical elevating screws 6 suitablyjournaled in bearing brackets (hot shown) at their upper and lower endsand carrying at their upper ends bevel gears 7 meshing with similarbevel gears 8 keyed to the opposite ends'of a horizontal coupling shaft9 which is suitably journaled within the top cross bar 2 of the machine.Thiscross shaft 9 which couples the two elevating screws 6 is usuallyprovided with both hand and power mechanism for operating the elevatingscrews. This operating mechanism is very common and well known in theart and for this reason we have not thought it necessary to illustrateit, it being sufficient for the understanding of the present inventionto bear in mind that the'elevating screws are" reversible so as toelevate or lower the pile supporting platform. In the application of anelectric motor or other power for operating the elevating screws, it iscommon practice to provide automatic devices for arresting the operationof the screws at the limits of the upper and lower positions of the pilesupporting platform so as to avoid injuring the mechanism, it being verydesirable to employ power for operating said screws in the interest ofaccuracy in the elevating operation and saving time. p in the loweringoperation.

A main screw nut 20 and an auxiliary screw nut 21 are threaded upon eachof the elevating screws 6, said nuts being suitably mounted in andconnected by a vertically sliding bracket 22 which operates in thechanneled guideway or track 23 of a standard 5. Rigidly mounted uponeach of the vertically traveling brackets 22 is a trussed bracket girder25 extending longitudinally of the machine. These bracket girders 25 maybe mounted upon the traveling brackets 22 in any suitable manner such asby bolts, it being necessary that the girders be rigid with thetraveling brackets. These girder brackets 25 project inwardly from theside frames of the feeder a very short distance so as to be able to movefreely up and down in the frame without engaging the end boards of thepile supporting platform hereinafter referred to.

The bracket girders 25 are formed at their opposite ends with outwardlyprojecting dowel pins 30 which pass through transverse openings 31formedv adjacent to the ends of the removable end girders 35. Thesegirders 35 are preferably formed -of trussed steel beams and as shown inthe drawings are I- beams. The ends of the bracket girders 25 are shapedto fit snugly against the channeled sides of the removable end girders35 and the overlapping walls of said engaging parts have registeringopenings formed through them for the reception of the removable couplingpins 40, by which the reeee,ee1

movable girders 35 are detachably secured to the ends of the bracketgirders 25 as shown clearly in the drawings.

Mounted at the base of the machine frame upon the transverse channeledbar 3 is a stationary bracket frame comprising the transverse bars 50mounted upon the angular bracket supports 51. These bars 50 are adaptedto support a series of removable platform boards 55, each one of whichis provided upon its under face with two strips "56 which-are adapted toengage the supporting bars 50'to assist in ositioning the pile boardspreparatory to p1 ing sheets thereon. Beneath the board supporting bars50 are formed the outwardly projecting brackets 60 upon which theremovable girders 35 may be conveniently placed during the operation oflowering thebracket girders into position to elevate a new pile ofsheets.

In Fig. 1 of'the drawings the machine is shown in position for normaloperation, a partially exhausted pile P upon the platform boards 55which rests upon the end g1rders 35 coupled to the bracket girders 25being in posit1on' for the operation of the feeding devices. Whilesheets are being fed from the upper pile P, the operator prepares asecond pile at P, the second set of platform boards 55 having beenarranged 1n proper position upon the supports 50 and the pile of sheetsbuilt up thereon. When the upper pile P is exhausted, the feedingoperation is arrested momentarily and the pile elevating screws reversedto lower the pile supporting girders 25 and 35 and platform boards 55until the girders 35 rest upon the top of the lower pile P The couplingpins 40 are thenremoved and the end girders 35 drawn outwardly todisengage them from the dowel pins '30. The end girders 35 supportingupper boards 55 can rest temporarily upon the top of the pile 1 and beremoved at the convenience of the operator, who immediately continuesthe downwar or reverse movement of the bracket girders 25 until theyreach the position shown in Fig. 3 beneath the second set of platformboards 55. While the bracket girders 25 are moving downwardly, theoperator removes the upperplatform boards 55 and the end girders 35 fromthe top of the pile P and places girders 35 upon the bracket supports 60in convenient position to be again coupled to the ends of the bracketgirders 25. The elevating frame having reached proper position'beneaththe platform boards supportingthe second pile of sheets, the operatoragain couples up the end girders 35 with the bracket girders 25 andstarts the elevating screws 6, which carry the elevating frame up intoengagement with the platform boards 55 and raises the second pile intoposition for a continuation of the feeding operation.

\Vhat we claim is:

1. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a feeder frame, reversible pile elevating mechanism, including traveling bracket girdersextending parallel with the length of said feeder frame and adapted tomove upwardly and downwardly past the ends of the pile of sheets, endgirders adapted to be detachably coupled to said bracket girders andengage beneath a pile supporting platform for elevating it, a support atthe base of the feeder frame, and a removable pile supporting platform,having upon its under surface positioning strips for engagement withsaid support.

2. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a feeder frame,reversible pile elevating mechanism, including a pair of verticallymovable bracket girders, a pair of end girders adapted to be detachablycoubination of a frame, reversible pile elevating mechanism, includingthe vertically movable bracket girders formed at their. ends with dowelpins, end girders formed with openings adapted to fit over said dowelpins, and coupling pins engaging registering openings in said bracketgirders and end girders.

TALBOT C. DEXTER. VERNON GARNER. Witnesses: O. C. HAMMOND,

IRvIN H-. DEXTER.

